Bess & Mike.

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One of my favorite girls who I've been friends with since high school (although it really feels like a lot longer!) got married this past weekend. The wedding was in a BEAUTIFUL garden in Grayton Beach, Florida (just outside Seaside). Eddie and I drove down mid-afternoon on Friday and we had the BEST time. The whole weekend was just laid-back and all about the newlyweds and we throughly enjoyed ourselves!

Friday night was a low country boil dinner at Bess and Mike's neighborhood pool. It was FREEZING for an early November night in Florida. FREEZING. I was so glad I thought to pack a few long sleeved things. We enjoyed seeing Bess and her family and meeting some of their friends. The wedding itself was teensy so most of the people there were family. I knew lots of Bess' family, but I met lots more and met a few of her college friends that I didn't know.

Saturday morning we got up and got ready for the wedding - an 11AM wedding - bright and early. I had never been to an 11AM wedding but was THRILLED about it. I wore what may become my new favorite dress {seriously...love these and have one in three colors} and it wasn't super fancy but was fabulous. {Bess, it may have been one of my favorite weddings ever.} 

We arrived around 10:30 and mingled around with the other guests. Just before 11 the wedding director asked us to make our way to where the ceremony would take place. There were about twenty chairs placed for family and then the rest of us just filled in and circled around. The bride was BEAUTIFUL. And the ceremony lasted about 30 seconds. We laughed and laughed and got such a kick out of it. Shortest wedding in the history of weddings.

After the ceremony we had drinks - they served tea, lemonade, mimosas, and bloody marys - and then they opened the buffet lines. Delicious food, too! Seriously, I enjoyed the whole thing!

After brunch/lunch the bride and groom made their getaway and we were all done by 1:30! Yowza!

Eddie and I spent the remainder of the afternoon at the outlet mall. I thought we might pick up a few Christmas gifts - we got two things for James who didn't need ANYTHING added to the Christmas stash - but we really didn't. We went back to our hotel to change and take a power nap and then it was more wedding business!

We met one of my long-time friends and her husband and four of Bess' other friends for dinner at The Red Bar. Delicious! I got the crab cakes (the only thing I've ever gotten there) and they were delicious. Eddie got a shrimp and crawfish pasta dish that he wasn't quite as thrilled with (I'm not sure why he doesn't just always order the fish when we eat at the beach...) but it was still good!

We left The Red Bar and joined up with Bess and Mike and more of their friends at a local place called Pandora. We stayed there for a few hours and enjoyed visiting and laughing before calling it a night.

Sunday morning we woke bright and early {they're an hour behind us so we were "sleeping in" but not really...} and after eating breakfast, showering, and packing we hit the road to head home. We stopped a few times on the way for various shopping ventures, but still made it back mid-afternoon.

We picked up one sick and sad boy and one tired and worn out boy and carried two screaming children home. Ahhhh, back to reality. Lovely! ;)

Thanks, Bess and Mike, for including us in your wedding festivities! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!